Schools:
There aren’t any particular schools that we recommend for graphic design that don’t cost a metric-ton of money (Cal Arts). What I will say is save your money until you are absolutely sure that design is for you. If you were thinking of attending a school like the Art Institute, you should be prepared to spend a good amount of time working to put a portfolio together and working closely with your freelance competition. We know a lot of instructors at the Art Institute and have hired several designers from there, it’s not a bad place to start but it is certainly an expensive “baptismal by fire” to see if you really want to be a designer.

Our recommendation is that you should round out your education by getting a degree in applied arts and getting a few projects, in a few different mediums, under your belt. That way, you may find talents you never knew you had from welding to ceramics to video production to a thousand other disciplines that can aid your future career be it graphic design or otherwise.

Books:
As for books to read, we’d (and I’m serious about this) start with Graphic Design for Dummies which should teach you about definitions and expectations. That series is like a ‘CliffsNotes’ for any subject and provides a basic understanding of the core concepts in design. After that, we’d recommend books on art history, anatomy, drawing techniques, printing, pairing and even magazines that focus on design principals (How).

Tools:
Regardless of your feelings of Mac v. PC, I’d suggest getting a decent computer (at least 4GB RAM) and start working with any design programs you can. You don’t have to be working with Adobe right out of the gate as there are many alternatives to those applications these days. If you do have access to Creative Suite, you should start to familiarize yourself with Illustrator (vector) first. Photoshop is a phenomenal program but when you start working with print ready files programs you’ll need to know how to produce files as vector art and the requirements for exporting and getting those elements properly prepared for print.

Experience:
Now, here’s the most important thing of all, in order to be a great designer, you need to get out to concerts, museums, the mall, ANYWHERE there is art on display. We’re not talking exclusively about pretty pictures, but we are saying that knowing what has resonated throughout history (museums) will definitely give you a good base to work from. Seeing posters, shirts and people at events (concerts/sporting events) should give you a good idea of what graphics work in what context. Even the mall can a great place to see both good and bad POP (point of purchase) displays and to start getting ideas for what works and what doesn’t.

The first step towards becoming a designer should be the act of picking up a spiral bound sketch book so you can start drawing and taking notes on the world around you. As a designer, it’s your job to know what works visually and what doesn’t AND be able to echo that on to your client. Design is everywhere and they play an important part in driving sales and creating marketing efforts that build awareness and loyalty. There will always be a need for designers and GOOD designers, the ones that can separate the wheat from the chaff, the ones who have a working knowledge of history, are the ones who keep getting paid and picked up for gigs.

The crux of the article was that a website goes beyond just ’setting and forgetting’ and no matter what solution you come up with there will need to bee some thought put into the cost of maintenance, upkeep and content development.

Before any of that begins you need to start with what you want your business to say BEFORE you look to a template to decide that for you. If your business commands a bulk of your time (which it should), find a design team that shows a demonstrated understanding of what you do.

If you are thinking of getting your business online or if you are going through the process of updating your website, we highly recommend this article.

The 2011 Wild Canyon Games were held at a 66,000-acre facility in Central Oregon known as the Washington Family Ranch. A short 3 hour drive from Portland will get you to the town of Antelope which is where all communication to the outside world effectively ends.  For the next 30 minutes we were on loose gravel and/or dirt roads as we made our way to the entrance to the camp.   The following images show a few of the scenic overlooks and the awe-inspiring landscapes, but the actual feeling when you are there is simply indescribable.

We signed in, received our wristbands, went to orientation and the vendor fair then spent the rest of the afternoon planning and setting our alarms for the 5am Triathlon and GeoCaching events. As we were settling into our bunks, we looked outside and saw that the night sky had exploded with stars. At 10pm, we packed up the cameras, tripod and 5 members of team Bauer Graphics and made the long journey to the top of Communication Hill (2140 ft). This hill would eventually be the last leg of our Creek2Peak journey on Sunday morning, but for now, it was doing a pretty good job of kicking our asses. The last 1/8 of a mile is nearly straight up and ends with the following view:

There were millions of them! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many stars in my life outside of Red Dead Redemption. After catching our breath for 30 minutes we collected our things and made our way back down ending the day just after midnight.

The next day started at 4am after our bunk house had turned into a fart-n-snore factory. I packed my bag and changed into my gear and waited for the rest of the crew to get ready. By 5:30am we were off to breakfast for and then to the check ins for our respective events. Simon, Ellen and Brendan took their places at the Triathlon while Rudy, Aaron, Derek and I walked across campus to the sports facility to prepare for the Geocaching event.

For the next five hours we would be climbing the hills of the Washington Family Ranch to elevations of nearly 4000 feet. Our team broke into two teams of two; Aaron and Derek went to the hills in the west while Rudy and I went due south to find caches in the valley. What started off as a trip down into a valley turned into Rudy and I heading towards one of the highest peaks at the camp. Word of warning to all you iPhone 4 owners, trying to use the GPS unit in the phone for GeoCaching is like trying to thread a needle while sitting in the back of a truck. Get yourself a good GPS unit before heading out and get a plan of attack ready before your trek into the wilderness so you don’t end up stuck on a devil’s backbone. By “Devil’s Backbone” I mean that we had worked our way up a ridge to a point where there was a sharp, steep grade on one side and a 1500 foot cliff on the other.

After making our way back down to safety we encountered a pretty significant problem. We’d been turned around from our original position so much that we couldn’t place where we were and how to get back to camp. While the iPhone 4’s GPS couldn’t find a broad side of a cavern-sized barn, the compass app worked like a charm and after 45 minutes of additional climbing we crested a hill and saw the ranch once more. Rudy and I, humbled by our journey, were nearly silent during the entire decent into camp. Within 30 minutes Derek and Aaron returned with several cache numbers in tow. All of team Bauer was safe, sound and accounted for.

When we left the geocache area we ran into the rest of the team who let us know that we had done much better than expected in the Triathlon event. Ellen did a great job swimming and Simon finished the mini-marathon with a respectful time but it was Brendan’s racing ability that put us over the top. In a heat of 103 riders, Brendan had finished 10th. After the first event, Bauer Graphics stood in the top 25 of overall participants at the 2011 Wild Canyon Games.

Bill Watterson’s Commencement Speech

“You’ll be told in a hundred ways, some subtle and some not, to keep climbing, and never be satisfied with where you are, who you are, and what you’re doing. There are a million ways to sell yourself out, and I guarantee you’ll hear about them. To invent your own life’s meaning is not easy, but it’s still allowed, and I think you’ll be happier for the trouble.”

Steve Jobs – “Stay hungry, stay foolish.”

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Bill Hicks – “The world is like a ride at an amusement park”

“We can get off of it at any time. It’s only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings, and money. A choice, right now, between fear and love.”

If you want something, you have to ask for it

“You must not only condition yourself to be open and willing to receive what you want but you must also ASK FOR IT! You need to ask for what you want with total passion, intention and belief. Don’t complain or be a victim. Be positive, optimistic and full of enthusiasm and joy.”

Have a wonderful morning, afternoon and evening everyone. Looking forward to launching the new site soon.

Sincerely,

___________________________________________

Neal Bauer
Bauer Graphics, Inc.

email • neal (at) bauergraphics (dot) com
cell • 503.968.7699

http://www.bauergraphics.com/bg_capabilities.pdf

Donation

Note: Donations are accepted in Japanese Yen only. ($20 is approximately 1600 yen) Your donation must be at least 100 yen, up to 50,000 yen.

Enter Amount in JP¥

* Donations will go to the Japanese Red Cross Society and will be used to support to those affected by the earthquake in Japan

A massive 8.9/9.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Pacific Ocean nearby Northeastern Japan at around 2:46pm on March 11 (JST) causing damage with blackouts, fire and tsunami. On this page we are providing the information regarding the disaster and damage with realtime updates.

The large earthquake triggered a tsunami warning for countries all around the Pacific ocean.

Local Japan Emergency dials:
171 + 1 + line phone number to leave a message
171 + 2 + line phone number to listen to the message

Phone numbers to consult about missing persons: (Japanese language)
Iwate: 0120-801-471
Miyagi: 022-221-2000
Fukushima: 0120-510-186 / 090-8424-4207 / 090-8424-4208

You can also access Person Finder here: http://goo.gl/sagas

We are in the picturesque Sonoran Desert but it is a bit colder than you would expect. I’m not complaining as this desert could do with some rain and, plus, it makes walking the floor at the expo a little less muggy.

We are here for a week’s worth of meetings and planning for the next phase of Bauer Graphics and to talk all things Sony. It was a toss up for which show I would be attending (DPS or GDC) but I figured that I’d be hitting those same folks up at E3 this year so Destination Playstation won out. Plus, how can you compete with the luxurious Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort? Come on!

Looking forward to bringing back some key partnerships this year and to start working with more companies in the game industry.

Over the course of 2010-2011 the team at ++Good has talked with developers and individuals that are actively pushing the craft of video games forward including Tim Schafer and Lee Petty of Double Fine Studios, Localization Specialist Thomas Lipschultz from XSeed Games as well as voice actors like Liam O’Brien and Kat Steel who have graciously joined the program.

The ++Good Games podcast has been celebrating the best games, the best developers and the greatest experiences this industry has to offer and has worked tirelessly to share what has made the games industry so exceptional these past 40 years.

We at Bauer Graphics are proud to have the opportunity to support a program that moves an imaginative industry forward and we are glad that we could help them level up.

It is an analog computer with over 100 gears and 7 differential gearboxes. It is accurate to a day or two over it’s range.

Five turns of the central yellow handle advances the machine one year. The dials on the left represent the Saros cycle of lunar months. The dials on the right represent the positions of the sun and moon against the zodiac.

There have been numerous studies that have shown that getting proper sleep every night can mean better mood, sharper concentration, higher productivity at work, a stronger immune system and even an easier time managing your weight. It sounds like the wonder-drug for most of what ails us is a little vitamin Z.

So, with that, I am going to actively try out each of the following “Sleep Hygene” recommendations from sleep experts over the next 30 days:

(photo courtesy of Malias)

• I you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something boring until you feel sleepy
Sit quietly in the dark or read the warranty on your refrigerator. Don’t expose yourself to bright light while you are up. The light gives cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.

• Don’t take naps
This will ensure you are tired at bedtime. If you just can’t make it through the day without a nap, sleep less than one hour, before 3 pm.

• Get up and go to bed the same time every day

Even on weekends! When your sleep cycle has a regular rhythm, you will feel better.

• Refrain from exercise at least 4 hours before bedtime
Regular exercise is recommended to help you sleep well, but the timing of the workout is important. Exercising in the morning or early afternoon will not interfere with sleep.

• Develop sleep rituals
It is important to give your body cues that it is time to slow down and sleep. Listen to relaxing music, read something soothing for 15 minutes, have a cup of caffeine free tea, do relaxation exercises.

• Only use your bed for sleeping
Refrain from using your bed to watch TV, pay bills, do work or reading. So when you go to bed your body knows it is time to sleep. Sex is the only exception.

• Stay away from caffeine, nicotine and alcohol at least 4-6 hours before bed
Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Coffee, tea, cola, cocoa, chocolate and some prescription and non-prescription drugs contain caffeine. Cigarettes and some drugs contain nicotine. Alcohol may seem to help you sleep in the beginning as it slows brain activity, but you will end end up having fragmented sleep.

• Have a light snack before bed
If your stomach is too empty, that can interfere with sleep. However, if you eat a heavy meal before bedtime, that can interfere as well. Dairy products and turkey contain tryptophan, which acts as a natural sleep inducer. Tryptophan is probably why a warm glass of milk is sometimes recommended.

• Take a hot bath 90 minutes before bedtime
A hot bath will raise your body temperature, but it is the drop in body temperature that may leave you feeling sleepy.

• Make sure your bed and bedroom are quiet and comfortable
A hot room can be uncomfortable. A cooler room along with enough blankets to stay warm is recommended. If light in the early morning bothers you, get a blackout shade or wear a slumber mask. If noise bothers you, wear earplugs or get a “white noise” machine.

• Use sunlight to set your biological clock
As soon as you get up in the morning, go outside and turn your face to the sun for 15 minutes.
I’ll be posting with successes and failures from my experiment. Keep in mind what works for me may not exactly work for you, but with our own experimentation I’m sure we’ll both be getting more rest than we are right now.

I mean, really, what could it hurt?